Return of Dauntless
by Eden Kingsley
Summary: AU Fanfic. Jeanine Matthews is determined to rule all of Chicago. Erudite has successfully taken over half of Dauntless and are hunting Divergents again. In a society where being Divergent is finally becoming acceptable, Four is sent to rescue a group of Divergents who were taken by Jeanine. One of whom becomes very important to him.
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own any of the characters or setting. Divergent is owned by the very talented Veronica Roth. I hope you enjoy my version of the story.**

It's been three months since the attack on Dauntless. Attack is the word used, though it doesn't feel like a strong enough word.

Crates full of serum were delivered from Erudite. We were told it was a vaccine we'd been desperate for. It turned out to be some kind of mind control serum. Nearly half of the Dauntless population had been injected before we discovered the truth, and it would have been all of us if the shipment had arrived earlier in the day, like it was supposed to.

I remember it like it was yesterday. Everyone standing in line for their injection. Hoping only to keep from getting sick. When suddenly, those who had already received the vaccine, turned on us. It was chaos as family and friends attacked each other. We lost a lot of good people that night. Some in the battle, but most running from Dauntless to serve Jeanine Mathews.

We've learned a lot since then. Anyone who wasn't affected by the serum, turned out to be Divergent. There was no more hiding it, at least not in Dauntless. It was hard at first. So many people had bought into the lies and feared us. But it didn't take long for most people to realize being Divergent wasn't a curse, it was a gift. A gift that has proved quite valuable in the Faction War.

It's nice not having to hide it anymore. There was a time when we were hunted. Now we're respected and looked up to. That is, until last night, when we received word that Erudite invaded Abnegation in search of Divergents.

We are only half the size we used to be. Dauntless has been damaged considerably. But we are still the protectors of the other factions. We are responsible for every life in Abnegation, Candor and Amity. Last night we failed, and sixteen members of Abnegation were taken. Erudite has found some way to identify Divergents with a simple mind scan, and they took them all. It's only a matter of time before Candor and Amity are targeted.

I try to remain quiet as Dauntless leadership argues about our best course of action.

"We cannot let this attack go unanswered, like we did when our own people were hijacked." Amar slammed his clenched fist onto the conference table. This is hard for him, being Divergent himself and knowing what Jeanine might do to the captives.

Harrison, another leader, replied. "What choice do we have? Erudite's numbers are far greater than ours now."

"If we do nothing, we will all be under Jeanine's control. It's just a matter of time." Amar argued back.

"Sixteen Divergent lives are not worth starting a war. A war we will surely lose." Harrison looked like he was about to jump out of his seat.

Finally, I can't hold my tongue anymore. I approach the table from the rear of the room, where I was observing the meeting. "What if we send in a small rescue party? Maybe a small group can infiltrate Erudite headquarters undetected."

"That sounds like a suicide mission to me." Harrison gave me a dirty look while Amar stroked his chin.

Amar speaks up again. "No, I think Four might be right. We've all learned the value of being Divergent. We can't leave these people to die. A small group has a better chance of success than an entire army they will see coming miles away."

"And who do we send on this mission?" Harrison grumbles. "Who's life do we put on the line?"

"I'll do it." I speak up. "I'll assemble a team to go in."

Amar shakes his head. "No Four. You are too valuable. We can't risk losing another Divergent."

"We can't risk losing any Divergents. We have a chance to save sixteen of them." My anger can be heard in my voice. "I've been in Erudite headquarters plenty of times, and because I am Divergent, I am the most logical choice. We need someone who can think on their feet to lead this mission. Can you think of anyone else more qualified?"

Harrison looks back at Amar and shrugs. "He's proven himself time and time again in situations like this."

Amar leans back in his chair. "Do you really think you can pull this off?" The question directed back at me.

"I know I can. These people are just like me. I owe them that."

Amar doesn't look pleased. "Assemble your team Four. Let us know when you are ready."

Without another word, I leave the conference room to prepare for the toughest mission I've ever been assigned.

* * *

My team consists of Tori, Zeke, Shauna and Lynn. All people I trust with my life and I know will follow my orders without question.

We all stand in a circle, dressed in Erudite blue civilian wear, discussing the details of the plan I've worked out. With the help of a few Dauntless spies, we've acquired ID badges and a detailed map of the compound. Including underground corridors that we are not supposed to know about.

"Anybody have any questions?" I ask, but my team is silent. "OK, let's go."

My comrades break the huddle and head out to the garage, where several armored jeeps are ready to go. Before I make it through the door, a hand on my shoulder stops me.

Amar stands at arm's length. "This doesn't feel right."

I squeeze my lips together and try to find the words to reassure him. "We'll be in and out before they have any idea we're there."

"Be careful Four. You have no idea what Jeanine is capable of."

With a quick nod I leave my friend at the bay door, to join my team in the armored jeep that will deliver us to Erudite headquarters.

Very little is said on the way. Zeke tries to joke about our situation, but no one seems to be in the mood to laugh.

Lynn looks nervous, and hasn't stopped tapping her foot the whole time. Shauna has been staring out the window. It's only Tori who speaks up occasionally offering solutions to complications she's thought up.

"Our plan is solid, as long as the intel supplied is accurate." I say. "There's a good chance we won't run into any resistance at all, if we execute properly."

"And there's a chance we will all be killed if the intel is wrong. I'm worried about these underground passages. How on Earth did they get this information and get it all mapped out if it's as secret as they say?" Lynn has never been an optimist.

"Peter has been on the inside for a long time now." I add confidently.

Lynn huffs. "I wouldn't trust Peter to babysit a potted plant."

I can't help but smile. "He's been a tough one to figure out, but he is one of us. Let's give him a little leeway."

"I wouldn't be as stingy with the leeway if our lives didn't depend on him."

Now Tori speaks up. "Lynn is right. Peter has always been a loose cannon. He'd jump ship at the first sign of trouble. Can we really trust the intel we got from him?"

"Yes," I blurt out. "I know we've had issues with him in the past, but I completely trust him now. We stick to the plan."

The caravan stops a moment later. We are just outside the Erudite border.

"It's time. Everyone know where they're going?" In unison my friends answer and we exit the vehicle under the cover of night.

 **That's it for now. Please let me know what you think.**


	2. Chapter 2

Getting into Erudite headquarters was easy, just as Peter predicted. We were able to sneak into one of the storage buildings and locate the hatch leading to the underground tunnels, without any trouble. Just as Peter's map had predicted, the tunnel lead right into the center of the facility.

Another hatch in a computer room was our way in from the underground path we'd taken. The room was brightly lit and filled with computer equipment. The entire room was kept cool with a large fan built into the far wall, to prevent the equipment from overheating. The noise from the fan was an added bonus we weren't expecting.

Once we were in the computer room, all we had to do was blend in. Not an easy feat for soldiers. As casually as we could, we followed the empty halls toward the detention center. We passed a handful of Erudite along the way, but no one gave us a second glance. _So far, so good_ , I thought. Without too much trouble, we made our way to a conference room and slipped through the doorway, one at a time.

"The Abnegation hostages are being held one floor up." I whispered to my team. "If we go through the air duct, we'll be in the center of the detention center hallway. Shauna, your badge has clearance to open the cell doors, as does mine. So we go up together. Zeke and Lynn, Peter stashed civilian clothes in that storage closet. Your job is to help the captives through the vent, and have them change into Erudite clothes. Try to keep everyone calm and quiet. Tori, you stand guard. We need to get everyone out the same way we came in, so this room is our staging area and needs to stay secure until we are all ready to leave together." I look from face to face of each of my team members. "Everyone ready?"

My colleagues give me a silent confirmation and we break the huddle. Shauna and I go up through the air vent and the others take their posts. Shauna goes first and crawls through easily. It's only about a 12 foot army crawl to the exit vent, but to someone who is claustrophobic, it may as well be a mile.

"C'mon Four!" Shauna beckoned to me from the other end of the shaft. Sweat began to drip from my forehead. _What the hell was I thinking?_ Then I answer my own question. You were thinking of saving sixteen lives. That was enough to push me forward till I caught up with Shauna. She waited for me, looking out the vent before silently pointing out a lone guard in the hallway. He was dressed in Dauntless clothing, but I didn't recognize his face.

He sat in a chair, looking down at some small electronic device in his hand. _This shouldn't be too hard._ I pull the dart gun from its hiding spot tucked in the back of my pants. With the tip through one of the spaces in the vent, I make careful aim. I pull the trigger, silently impaling him in the neck with a tranquilizer dart. The guard immediately slouches in his seat.

"Nice shot." Shauna praised before pushing the cover panel out of our way. We climb up silently into the hallway, but all the cells in the immediate area are empty. With the hallway stretched out in long corridors on each side of us, I motion for her to go left, while I follow the hall to the right. Sure enough, a few doors down I come across a cell with several gray clothe children inside. Without wasting any time, I slip my badge through the door lock and the click signaled the lock had been released. I walk inside and immediately crouch down to child size, to look less frightening, before explaining I was here to get them out. They seemed to understand, without being asked, the importance of staying quiet and within moments, I had four little bodies follow me into the hallway.

Shauna appears from the left whispering. "There is no one down that way."

"Take the kids to the vent. I'll see if I can find the others."

She gives me a quick nod before herding the children back in the direction she came from.

With the help of the badge Peter smuggled to us, two more doors were unlocked and a total of eleven men and women scurried out. "Quickly, that way." I say, pointing toward the escape route.

 _That's only 15_ , I repeat several times in my head. I had to find the last one. My feet continued walking further and further away from the air vent. The voices in my head argue over whether or not I should turn back. Damn! I know I don't have much time. I had to go back. For all I knew, the last hostage could already be dead.

The moment I turned around, I heard a squeaky voice singing. A woman's voice, and she sounded like she was going to burst into tears with each new word. It was coming from up ahead, around the bend in the hall.

"All by myself. Don't want to be, all by myself. Anymore."

I lean forward and peer around the corner. There in a glass cell is a frail looking girl. I wonder if this is Erudite's version of solitary confinement, and what this person did to be locked up here.

She looks up at me immediately as I turn the corner into her view. "I'm sorry. Was my singing bothering you? Too bad I don't care. Erudite scum!"

"She's dressed in Abnegation grey, but her fierce tongue is not something I'd expect from a member of her faction.

I squint slightly, tilting my head, forgetting I'm dressed as an Erudite carrying a gun. She thinks I'm guarding her cell.

I step closer to her door, but before I can unlock it, Shauna's voice comes through my ear piece. "Four, they know we're here. We have to go…Now!"

"Get the other hostages out to the caravan. I'll catch up to you."

"OK." Her only reply before the comm goes quiet.

The lone prisoner couldn't have heard what Shauna said, but my end of the conversation was clear as day. Now she is on her feet, running to the door.

My card slides through the lock, just as I did for the other hostages. Nothing happens. I repeat the action, but still nothing.

"Four! Where are you?" Shauna sounds frantic this time.

"There's another Divergent down here. I've got to get her out.

"There's no time!" She yells in my ear.

Before I can respond, gunshots resonate through my earpiece. "Damn It!" My full attention is back on the girl, now standing inches away on the other side of the glass door.

"You need to get out of here." Her voice is stern but shaky.

Her command is exactly what I'd expect from a member of Abnegation. "I'm not leaving without you." My voice is hard, unmoving. "Stand back!"

She ducks back, away from the door, as I fire a single shot at the locking mechanism. It comes to life in a shower of sparks and the door swings open. "C'mon!" With her wrist in my hand, I pull her out of the cell, only to turn around to look down the barrel of a gun.

"Hello Four." Eric stands holding the gun near my face. "I was hoping we'd run into each other again."

I can't stop the growl that escapes my lips as I hold up my arms in surrender. Eric snatches the pistol from my hand. This is it. With our history, Eric won't hesitate to kill me right here and now. He's learned from experience not to underestimate me. The only way he can guarantee I won't be any more trouble, is if I'm dead.

As if in slow motion, the muscles in his arm tense as his finger squeezes the trigger. I close my eyes, not wanting Eric's smile to be the last think I see before I die.

There's a thump on the floor. I never herd the gun go off. My eyes fly open. Eric is slumped down on the ground.

"Oh my God." The Divergent girl behind me says in a panic stricken voice. "I shot him."

My body whips around to face her. She is still holding the tranquilizer gun in her hand. I had it tucked into my belt behind me. She retrieved it unnoticed by Eric.

"C'mon!" I grab her wrist again pulling her toward the direction of the air vent.

"I can't believe I shot him." Her voice shakes, and she sounds like she may start to cry.

"It was just a tranquilizer," I say dryly, secretly wishing it hadn't been. "He'll be fine."

"What?" Now she sounds appalled. "Why do you have a tranquilizer gun if they have real ones?"

"We were trying to be quiet." I reply as we sprint forward.

When we reach the air vent, I nearly push her in. I hear Shauna's voice again. "Four. The divergent hostages are on route back to Dauntless. Zeke and I stayed behind to get you out but we're under fire."

"Get the hell out of there!" I demand. "We'll get out another way and catch the train."

"But Four…"

"That's an order!" I'm yelling without realizing it.

"Yes Sir!" She answers with more sarcasm than she should to her commanding officer. But I know it is only because we are such good friends that she dare let me know what she thinks of my orders.

The girl in front of me is crawling through the air vent when I pull myself in. and I'm surprised by her speed. I try to focus on keeping up with her, rather than the tiny passage around me, threatening to swallow me up.

When she reaches the end of the duct, she pauses for only a fraction of a second before swinging her legs through and jumping down.

I exit the vent right after her. A flood of relief washes over me now that I'm free from the crawl space. I immediately sprint to the door and peak through the open crack. Several Dauntless guards run through the hallway holding rifles, but never stop to check this conference room.

"Now what?" Her eyes are wide and I don't see the fear in her face I was expecting.

I motion with my chin toward the closet. "There's Erudite clothes in there. Go get changed."

She wastes no time following orders and disappears into the closet. I stay by the door as a lookout. Seconds later I hear, "check that conference room." The shuffle of several pair of boots approaches from beyond my view.

Without a second thought, I make a dash for the closet, closing the door behind me. The Abnegation girl's mouth drops open. I reach for her face, covering her mouth with my hand to keep her from scolding me. My other hand comes up, and one finger crosses my lips vertically. She recognizes the instruction immediately and I pull my hand away from her mouth, confident she won't make a sound.

We can hear the Dauntless soldiers on the other side of the door, and the room starts closing in on me. Breathing becomes a struggle. Somehow, she picks up on it and she reaches over to squeeze my lower arm in support.

After an eternity of seconds, the outside room grows quiet again, and for the first time I realize she is standing there beside me only half dresses. Her pale skin looks flawless in the low light of the supply closet. I look away suddenly, ashamed for putting her in such an awkward position. In Abnegation, seeing a woman in only her bra and panties is something reserved only for your spouse.

"Sorry," I whisper, not knowing what else to say when you violate someone's privacy so severely. I peek out the door to confirm the room is empty and take a deep breath of air once I'm free from the closet.

She's close behind me, now wearing an Erudite blue pant suit. She looks the part of an Erudite without much trouble, unlike me.

"Blue is not your color." She grins, and I can't believe she's smiling after I barged in on her dressing.

"All we have to do now is blend in. We don't have to go far, and we may run into a few Erudite. But as long as they don't have guns, just keep walking like nothing is going on."

She nods, "Got it. But what if we run into Dauntless?"

She's right. Almost any member of Dauntless would recognize me in a heartbeat. "Let's just pray we don't." At that, we walk out into the open corridors of Erudite headquarters.

 **If you like it so far, please send me a quick comment. It helps me stay motivated and update sooner.**


	3. Chapter 3

She looks so much more at ease than I do. We've already passes a group of teens, all sporting blue loungewear, and a young couple kissing outside one of the computer labs. She hasn't flinched. In fact, one of the boys from the first group was looking her up and down like she was a piece of meat. And though he made it quite obvious, she didn't react at all. I wonder what she would have done if he'd asked for her number.

I'm trying my hardest to stay calm, knowing we may have to run for it any second. And then I hear it. The sound of dozens of boots scuffing the floor. I know that sound. It's the synchronized march of a Dauntless patrol. I look around frantically, but there is nowhere to hide, just open, brightly lit corridors. So much for being able to think on my feet. We're going to have to fight our way through.

I can hear them getting closer when the Divergent girl grabbed me around the waist, pulling me until her back hit the wall. And then she kissed me. A kiss that no self-respecting Abnegation member would ever consider doing outside the bedroom.

My heart began to race, and for a moment I felt like my feet had left the ground. It was only the two of us, until I heard a familiar voice behind me.

"Get a room." Max grumbled, clearly annoyed as he walked past us, followed by two dozen Dauntless soldiers.

It wasn't until the patrol had passed that she finally released me, and the purpose for her action became apparent to me. I don't really know how to describe how I was feeling. There doesn't exist a word in the English language to describe those few moments.

"Which way?" Her voice was soft yet all business.

"There." I point down the path Max and his minions came from. It was only about five hundred more feet to the equipment room that would lead us to the underground tunnels. When we reached the door, I looked around quickly before pushing the girl through the door. The room was still empty and the noise of the fan would drown out any sounds we made climbing down the rusty ladder to the underground.

I opened the hatch. The room below was completely black, just as it had been on the way in. "It's ok." I offered her a small smile. "Don't be afraid."

"I'm not." She replied, before heading down the ladder before me.

I followed her down after placing the hatch door back into place. Once my feet hit solid ground, I tapped my watch several times until it spilled out a beam of light. With the light aiming toward the wall, I was able to determine which way to go. On the way in I had memorized several markings on the wall to ensure the trip out was as uncomplicated as the way in.

"This way." I aimed the beam of light down the left passage and start walking.

"Where are we?" She asked, following close behind.

"Some tunnels below Erudite territory. I think they are used to deliver supplies from the warehouses to Erudite headquarters. Jeanine has no idea we know about them so we should be able to get out of here without any more problems."

We walk in silence. After everything we'd already been through, it feels awkward, but I don't have any idea what to say. I can't help it. I'm socially challenged.

"The guy I shot," she broke the deafening silence. "He called you Four."

"Yeah. That's my name."

"You didn't have very imaginative parents, did you?"

I chuckled lightly. "Creative is not a word I would use, no." Now that we are speaking, it feels easy. She is warm and open, and I feel more comfortable than I have in a very long time. I'm about to tell her Four isn't my real name when we both stop dead in our tracks. A light several hundred yards ahead of us turns on. Then another behind us.

"That can't be good." She spouts.

"We need to get out of here, now. Run!" I grabbed her hand and we make a mad dash for the nearest ladder. There has to be dozens of ladders leading back to the surface. Who knows where we'd end up if we didn't take the same one we entered through. But with the lights on, it would only be a matter of time before one of the security cameras spotted us. Our best option is to take the first exit up to ground level.

I went up first, just barely lifting the hatch door enough to get a look around. The room is dark, but a good amount of moonlight comes from a nearby doorway. I pulled myself out, and offer my hand to the Abnegation girl. Without knowing where we are, it was best to be as quiet as possible. The flashlight is swung in every direction, stopping at each wall, and then the doorway. The walls were lined with wooden shelves, piled high with boxes of varying sizes.

"What are they?" She's reaching for one of the smaller boxes when I slap her hand away quickly.

"Looks like computer parts. I think we're in another storage room." I advance toward the source of the moonlight and we find ourselves in a little computer repair shop.

The girl studies the road, outside the long store window, looking up and down the street. "I know where we are. Abnegation is about a mile up the street."

I nod as the familiar road came into view. "You're right. But we aren't going to Abnegation."

She looked at me, disapproving.

"I'm taking you back to Dauntless for now. At least until we can secure Abnegation again."

"And when might that be?"

"I don't know. But we're working on it." I half expect her to argue with me. Not something the Abnegation make a habit of, but I'm finding it hard to remember which faction she belongs to. "The train goes right through the center of town. We can take it to Dauntless."

She looks at me. "But the train doesn't stop there?"

I chuckle lightly. "No, the train doesn't really stop anywhere." Her Abnegation innocence suddenly comes through. "C'mon. It's not far."

We exited the store through a back door, just as the train whistle blew. I took off, running toward the loud noises and she followed after me. After crossing behind one building, the train came into view a few hundred yards away.

"Run Faster. You'll never make it at that speed."

It took her a bit before she realized what I expected her to do. Her dishwater blue eyes grew wide, and her face was painted in panic.

I ran beside the train, letting several cars pass me as I waited for her to catch up. "Come on Stiff!" I yelled, before I could stop the words from coming out of my mouth. What I thought would anger her, only made her run faster. The last car was about to pass when she reached out and grabber my hand. I jumped, clutching on to the door handle, and swung her to the step beside the closed door. With one hard yank, the door opened. I pushed her inside then jumped in behind her.

She fell to the floor, panting, for just a moment before rolling to her side in a hearty laugh.

I was completely confused by this reaction, though I couldn't help but smile hearing her girlish laugh. She rolled on the floor, one hand on her stomach, laughing hysterically.

I sat down against one of the walls, just watching. Within moments, I felt a chuckle emerge. "What's so funny?"

She sat up slowly and her laughing subsided after a few final giggles. She wiped her eyes, now filled with tears from laughing so hard. "An hour ago, I was in a prison cell, thinking I was going to die. And now…" She lost control of another round of laughter.

"Now?" I urged her to continue.

"I've never felt so alive." Her face was glowing. It wasn't until now that I looked at her differently. She was absolutely beautiful. Not Dauntless beautiful like I had become accustom to recognizing immediately, but Abnegation beautiful. The kind of beauty I'd grown to appreciate as a child. A natural, honest beauty that can't be seen by the untrained eye.

She didn't have even a trace of makeup on. Her clothes were not flashy. The Erudite blue pant suit was definitely more flattering than the plain Abnegation grey dress she was wearing when we first met. But her clothes had no impact on how she looked. At least not to me.

Against my will, a picture of her flashed in my head. Standing in the supply closet, wearing only her undergarments. Her hand on my arm, as soon as she realized how I felt in confined spaces. And then there was the memory of the kiss we shared. A moment when our lives were in danger, but she managed to make me forget everything around us.

I'm not the romantic type. I don't believe in love at first sight. In my mind, love is something that builds over a long period of time. Kissing someone you have no feeling for should have the same effect as beating yourself at a game of chess. It's meaningless. And yet, I keep thinking about it.

I'm sure in her mind it was nothing but a strategy to get us out of a tight spot. I don't know this girl. Other than her faction and the fact that she must be Divergent for Jeanine to take her. So how did she distract me so much to transport my mind to another place, with one strategic kiss?

I'm drawn to her for some reason unknown to me. Maybe because I know what kind of life she's lived growing up in Abnegation. Or is it the bravery I see flash in her eyes, when another of her kind would be trembling. Then there is her quick thinking that saved us from Max and his brainwashed patrol, or her immediate trust and support she showed to a complete stranger. Maybe it was her honesty. Admitting she thought she was about to die. I know that feeling and it's absolutely terrifying. Then feeling completely alive by stepping out of her expected role. This girl could fit into any of the five factions.

She regained her composure and pulled herself up to lean against the wall perpendicular to mine. She sighed loudly, smiling at me shyly.

I smile back. "It's been quite a night, hasn't it?"

She chuckled lightly, "You could say that."

"What's your name?"

"Tris. My friends call me Tris."

"Oh." I nod my head. "Are we friends?"

"After you saved my life tonight. I'd like to think so."

"You saved my ass back there to." My comment makes her blush. "I'd say we're even."

She shook her head. "Not really. You wouldn't have been there if it weren't for me."

"You weren't the only one we pulled out of there tonight."

"No, but you could have left me behind. You should have left as soon as your friend told you to."

My eyes met hers. "I couldn't do that. I'd never be able to live with myself."

"You could have been killed." Her face was suddenly serious.

"Like I said, I'd never be able to live with myself if I'd left you there. My options were to get you out, or die trying."

Her lips curled into a gentle smile. "Thank you Four."

"You're welcome Tris." I couldn't hide the smile that appeared on my face. "Why don't you try to get some rest. I'll wake you when we get to Dauntless.

She nodded appreciatively and let her head fall back, closing her eyes.

My mind raced. How many lives had I saved? How many times have I put my own life on the line for someone else?" Too many times, that's how many. But hearing this one insignificant girl say thank you made my whole life feel worthwhile.

It was only a matter of moments before her breathing regulated and I could tell she'd fallen asleep. She shivered from the draft coming through the old boxcar. I stood, pulled the Erudite suit coat off my back and placed it over her shoulders. "Blue is not my color," I whispered as her shivering stopped.


	4. Chapter 4

Tris was sitting alone in the cafeteria. Dinner service ended more than an hour ago. But she remained at the table, poking her mashed potatoes with a fork.

I walk over and take a seat directly across from her. "Is there something wrong with your food?"

Her eyes meet mine, but nothing else moves. "Yeah. It's cold."

I nod my head. "I'm willing to bet it wasn't when it was served to you."

A slight smile curves her lips. "You better be careful Four. If the wrong people find out how smart you are, you might be accused of being Divergent. Dauntless are supposed to be brave not smart."

I can't help but laugh. If only she knew. "I am a pretty smart guy." I sit back in my chair and cross my arms over my chest. "What's bothering you?"

"What isn't would be an easier question to answer."

"Oh?"

She lets out a long sigh. "I guess I'm just worried about my parents. They took quite a beating trying to protect me from the Dauntless soldiers that came for us."

"We are doing everything we can to secure Abnegation. We should be able to get you back home mid-week."

"Mid-week!" Tris stammers, looking horrified. "They could all be dead by then."

My heart goes out to her. That was the same thing I thought when I was informed of the time frame, but there was little I could do. Erudite still had Dauntless solders there, threatening to take drastic measures if we made any kind of advance.

"I know." I do my best to calm her. Jeanine contacted us. They are looking for something that was stolen from Erudite. As long as we don't interfere, no one else will get hurt."

"Oh great. So the lives of hundreds of Abnegation are hanging on the promises of Jeanine Mathews. What makes you think you can trust her? In fact, how can you trust anyone when half your faction is taking orders from her?"

I reach back and rub the back of my neck. "At this point we don't have any other options." I lean forward again, folding my hands in front of me and leaning onto the table. "I don't suppose you have any idea what Jeanine is looking for?"

She shakes her head. "I'm a nobody. I don't know anything."

I look back at her through squinted eyes. "I don't believe that for a second. Tell me, why were you separated from all the others?"

She squirms in her seat. "I don't know." Her eyes lock on mine.

"Really?" After all we'd been through yesterday, I don't understand why she would lie to me. "Have I done something to cause you not to trust me?"

"No, of course not."

"Then why don't you tell me the truth?"

Her mouth falls open. "I…I don't know what to say. If I tell you the truth, you may not want to help me anymore."

Her face is dead serious. "Tris, there is nothing that you could tell me that would prevent me from helping you. Now, please, talk to me. Why were you separated from the others?"

Tris looks toward the ceiling while taking a deep breath. "Because I'm too far damaged to be fixed."

I shake my head, "What?"

Her eyes meet mine again. "Jeanine had this hand held machine. With just a quick scan, she could tell just how damaged we are. All of the others were between twenty and sixty percent. But when she scanned me, it said I was one hundred percent divergent. She said she couldn't fix me. But there is hope for the others.

"Being divergent is not a flaw Tris. It's actually a pretty great thing. Do you honestly feel like you are damaged?"

"I never used to, until recently. I always knew I was different. I don't really fit in with Abnegation like I should." A single tear trailed down her cheek. "At least, now I know why."

My heart went out to her. I knew this feeling all too well. The desire to be who everyone expects you to be, conflicting with the person you actually are. And the consequences of embracing the wrong side. It was exactly what lead me to Dauntless, and the reason for the scars on my back.

My hand reached out to her face as I brushed the tear away with my thumb. "Can I tell you something?"

Her head bobbed in a slight nod.

"Being Divergent can make you feel like you don't fit in anywhere, but once you learn what it truly means, you come to understand you actually can fit in more. I can't tell you how much we've learned from our kind. It's not a bad thing like Jeanine wants you to believe."

Her eyes stare strait into mine. "Did you say our kind? Are you…?"

I give her the biggest smile I can muster. "Yeah. I felt exactly like you do before. I didn't fit into my faction, and when I let my true self come out, I was punished for my actions. But now that I know what it really means to be Divergent, I'm happy to be one."

"How? How can you be happy to know you're broken?"

"Because I'm not broken. All my pieces still fit together like everyone else, I just have more of them." I take her hand in mine, holding it securely on the table. "I like to think of us like a jigsaw puzzle. The people who are not divergent are small basic puzzles with a small number of pieces. When put together, they are a clear picture of the faction they belong to. Being divergent, we still make a full picture. We don't have missing pieces, we have more. That makes us harder to figure out, but once all the pieces fall into place, the picture is more complex and represents more than one faction. That's all it is to be divergent. Instead of only fitting in to one faction, you fit several. Or in your case, all of them."

She smiles at me. "You really believe that?"

"Absolutely. I don't want to be just one thing. I can't be. I want to be brave, and I want to be selfless, intelligent, and honest and kind. Well, I'm still working on kind. But you, you're all of those things already. Do you think that makes you damaged? I think it makes you completely amazing."

She blushes, turning away to hide it. "I like thinking about it that way. It explains a lot actually. And it supports a theory I have."

"Oh yeah. What's that?"

"Only that you are completely amazing to." By this time she's bright red, but she doesn't turn away again, like I expect her to. "Thank you Four."

My heart speeds up. Every time she thanks me, I feel like I'm finally doing something right. Maybe that's the kind, I've been trying so hard to find in myself. Maybe she's awakened it in me. I stand and walk around to the other side of the table, sitting again right next to her. "Any time Tris." I lean forward and pull her into an embrace. Her body melts against mine as the tension is released from her muscles. "I have a feeling that meeting you is going to change my life."

"I feel that to." She whispers into my shoulder.


End file.
